No Man's Land Alternative Scene
by Rosmarinus
Summary: What if it was Horatio's girlfriend grabbed by Clavo Cruz? Horatio


_Disclaimer: Katie is the only character I own. The rest are just visiting the inside of my head._

_A/N: For those who know my Madison stories, you've met Katie as Horatio's OC girlfriend. This is a stand-alone "what-if" scene: What if Katie was present at the courthouse when the rocket hit, collecting information for work? In the original story, it's a court stenographer who is kidnapped; I replaced her with Katie. Also, the 'Chris' Katie refers to near the end is a fiancé that was murdered in front of her before she moved to Miami. I am looking for feedback, not so much for the storyline, but the quality and style because I'm trying out a few things. Thank you!_

Opening my eyes didn't do much good. It was still black. This darkness surrounded me, cutting off all sensation; from my breath, my hands. My head pounded in pain but there were no stars behind my eyes like there had been the last time. I couldn't scream, I could barely move and my body ached.

I closed my eyes and forced a deep breath through my nose. When was the last time I had been so scared?

_When Tim died_, a small voice whispered. _You were scared you had lost Horatio_.

For a moment I was in front of the jewelry store again, watching Alexx rushing inside, begging for the life of someone I love.

Okay, I thought. Okay. I'm not dead. Remember, Kate. Think: What happened, where are you?

I should just do FOIAs through the mail. Just fill out the damn form and stick it in an envelope. Instead, I go traipsing downtown to the courthouse, idly talk with the clerks, when I could send a cub to do it.

There was an explosion. The building shook and glass flew through the air. I remember dropping to the floor, assessing the situation, reaching for my cellphone –

A man grabbed me. Clavo Cruz. I knew his picture, I had run it a few times in The Herald. Horatio had sent him to jail for murder. Somehow Clavo Cruz had hands on me, yanked me from the floor and was shouting at me.

In the commotion, he almost shoved me down the stairwell to the parking garage.

"Show me your car, woman," he demand and he flashed a gun. _Don'tcha run just yet, editor-woman_.

"I- I don't have a car," I stammered. "I took the Metromover."

Clavo stared at me for a moment and then waved that gun at me. "Nice move, chica," he hissed. "But Caine's girlfriend has to have her own car."

He knows – he knows Horatio and I are together. A new sense of panic welled in me. Clavo tore my briefcase away and dug his free hand into it, coming out with my car keys. He clicked the fob and my new car chirped. With his hand gripping my arm, Clavo pulled me to the car. He made me sit in the front and took the seat in the back.

"Just drive, chica," he said. "If you want to see your precious Caine again."

Clavo barked directions at me and I drove, terrified. It wasn't far and we were outside of the bank where Horatio and I had the joint account. Clavo had me drive the car into the parking structure across the street. A black van followed us in.

"Pull in here," he said when we reached the top floor. I found a parking space and attempted to open my door. The black van pulled in front of my parked car and Clavo was out of the door as quickly as I was. Men jumped from the van, calling triumphantly to Clavo in Spanish.

"Let me go," I begged. "Por favor, déjeme ahora voy. Necesito ir a trabajar."

"Oh, no, chica," Clavo said. "Caine's novia." He grabbed me and pinned me against that van. One of the men whistled and I heard them laugh. Clavo's fingers dug in my arms and he leaned closely to my face. "Maybe I should find out what H sees in you. You know, have a little taste myself."

I struggled against him, kicking at his legs, trying to smash his instep or his balls. He laughed. His breath was awful, like his teeth were rioting. With that, he pushed his mouth against mine. I turned as far as I could and shouted, "Ayúdeme! Por favor, seniors!"

Clavo slapped me across the face. Stars popped into my vision and I couldn't breathe. He grabbed my cheeks and forced another kiss on me, sticking his tongue into my mouth until I thought I'd choke. Another hand grabbed at my covered breasts.

Just as suddenly, he pulled back. "Too bad I don't have time for this fun," he told me. Looking over his shoulder, he asked where the duct tape was.

I ducked down and bolted from under his arm. I made it all of two feet before another of Clavo's men caught me, lifting me from the pavement. Clavo made a clucking noise and waved a finger at me. I barely saw the hand come towards my head again.

Stupid FOIAs, I thought miserably. I took stock: I was alive. I hadn't been raped. I took another deep breath through my nose and felt the duct covering my mouth. The air was dank and smelled like rubber and dirt and gas. My fingers were almost numb, hands wrenched around my back and secured with more duct tape.

I'm in a trunk. For a moment, recognition brought relief. Then fear – I was locked in a car trunk with my hands tied behind my back and the sun beating down. It was hot and closed inside. I didn't know how long I had been there. I didn't know how much air was left but being awake meant I was using more oxygen.

I struggled against the tape on my wrists. New cars have inside trunk releases. They glow. I was bare-foot, my shoes somehow lost, so kicking wouldn't do much good. I twisted around, trying to decided which way was front and which was back. If I could find the release, I could open the trunk. There was no glowing plastic to lighten the darkness, meaning it had been a while since the lid was opened. That couldn't be good.

Minutes began to slip by. I was sweating and sick and afraid I would pass out again. Somehow, my fingers brushed the metal supports inside the darkness. I felt the rough edge and inched my sore arms to them, desperately cutting at the tape. A minute. Another minute. Sweat or blood now covered my forearms. I heard the tape rip at the same time I heard Horatio yell. I dug again and again at the tape and it finally came apart. My arms were freed. I pulled them forward and rubbed at my pained shoulders. I pulled the tape from my mouth, yelling as it tore across my skin.

I was frantic, searching along the edge of the trunk lid for the latch. There it was, a thin piece of plastic. With what little strength I had as the black started to turn grey, I pulled it. The lid popped and blinding light flooded me.

"Katie!" Horatio yelled. I head the Hummer halt and I heard running feet. Then Eric's voice. I pushed the lid open and sat up, squinting against the brightness, unable to see more than a few blurs along the horizon.

"Horatio!" I shouted. The air was cooler and I shivered in the breeze. "Horatio!"

Unsteadily, I started to climb from the trunk. Things were becoming more clear as oxygen rushed to my brain and my eyes adjusted. I just wanted out and away. Horatio was there, somewhere, and everything would be alright again. He would take me home, he would send Clavo and his hands and smelly breath back to jail and he would hold me all night until I could stop crying.

There was a gun shot. I could see Horatio and Eric, two lanes over on top of the parking structure. "Horatio!" I yelled.

"Katrina, get down!" Horatio shouted to me. There was another gunshot and another. I dropped back down into the trunk. Horatio was shouting to Eric and there was another gun shot. Eric screamed.

I peeked out and saw the shooter drop to the floor, laying there. Horatio was running to Eric. I climbed from for the trunk and started to run to the two men.

A last shot rang out. I fell to the pavement, hands over my head. Horatio turned and took aim, firing again. When no more shots followed, I clambered to my feet and ran to them. Horatio leaned over Eric, calling his name, his voice unsteady.

Eric was bleeding from his leg and a gash at his neck.

"Pressure, here, at his leg," Horatio instructed. I placed my hands over the blood while Horatio pulled his handkerchief out and pressed it against Eric's neck. Horatio used his free hand to press his phone and called from help – "Officer down! Need an ambulance now!"

"Please make the Reiki work," I whispered out loud. My hands were heating up – sweat, blood, Reiki.

Eric's eye lids fluttered once and his eyes rolled up in his head. I poured all the energy I had into him and one silent prayer – _Please don't let him die, too_.

"Eric," Horatio said. His voice was pleading. "Eric, stay with us. You're going to be fine, just stay with us.

_Delko, what the hell are you doing?_

_What do you mean, man?_

_The second shooter, over there. You didn't check._

_Sorry, Speed, I was too busy with the hole in my leg._

_Next time, check. Alright? We've been through enough._

_Next time, clean your gun._

_You're not coming to this side yet, so get back where you belong._

There was a squadron of police cars surrounding us and an ambulance roaring through the crowd. I didn't let go of Eric until one of the paramedics pried me away from him. The man lifted me gently from the ground and carried me to the second ambulance. He set me carefully on a gurney. I laid back for a moment and then saw the blood on my hands. Eric's blood. It was the same color as Chris' blood.

The flood of tears began. The ambulance with Eric and Horatio left with sirens that drowned out my cries.

"Where does it hurt, ma'am?" the paramedic was asking me. He was taking my vitals and another, a woman, was poking and prodding me.

"I want Horatio," I cried. "Where's Horatio? I want my Horatio!"

"Lt. Caine went with CSI Delko to Dade Memorial," she said. "We'll take you there next."

I struggled against their hands, too much like Clavo's roaming fingers. "Let go of me! I want Horatio!"

"Katie," another woman said. "Hush, sweet pea. I'm here. We'll go together."

Calleigh climbed into the ambulance. She identified herself to the paramedics as "CSI Duquesne" and informed them she was riding with me.

While Calleigh held my hand, the paramedics finished with me and buckled me into the gurney. The ambulance lurched forward and headed to Dade Memorial.

I leaned to the side to see Calleigh smiling tightly at me. She brushed the hair away from my eyes.

"You've been through a lot today," she said soothingly.

"Eric is shot," I blurted out. "And he and Tim were arguing."

"I know," she said. "Let the doctors see to you and we'll check on Eric and Horatio."

Calleigh wiped away a tear with the back of her hand and continued to try smiling at me.

"I'm scared again," I told her.

She nodded. "I am, too."


End file.
